Chat
06-02-2014, 04:18 PM
The most common reason for being uneven is raising kids. There is always one teat that is easier to nurse off of then the other, so kids will tend to use that side first. As kids grow, they will eventually start to take both sides. Leaving a single kid on a dam makes it much worse.
The reason it happens is because each time the udder fills to capacity it stretches a little. So over the course of a lactation the memory of the udder increases. The next lactation will see a larger udder with more capacity then the year before and so on.
When a kid is left on its dam and only nurses one side, then it doesnt get to stretch like the unused side, thus making a loop sided udder.
I would have to assume this is the case with this doe. That they allowed her to raise kids in the past and didnt keep close enough attention on the udder. Will this effect her milk production? Yes, as the smaller side will not produce as much as to be expected. Will it even out on its own? No. Its nearly impossible to even it out once its happened. But if you are determined enough, you can more or less reverse the process that caused it by letting the smaller side expand more and milking the larger side in small amounts many times a day so it doesnt fill.
There is also a chance that the doe had a case of mastitis in the past. That two can make the udder lop sided. Picture would help. You say you want to breed her, is she in milk now? This is the typical milking season.
The reason it happens is because each time the udder fills to capacity it stretches a little. So over the course of a lactation the memory of the udder increases. The next lactation will see a larger udder with more capacity then the year before and so on.
When a kid is left on its dam and only nurses one side, then it doesnt get to stretch like the unused side, thus making a loop sided udder.
I would have to assume this is the case with this doe. That they allowed her to raise kids in the past and didnt keep close enough attention on the udder. Will this effect her milk production? Yes, as the smaller side will not produce as much as to be expected. Will it even out on its own? No. Its nearly impossible to even it out once its happened. But if you are determined enough, you can more or less reverse the process that caused it by letting the smaller side expand more and milking the larger side in small amounts many times a day so it doesnt fill.
There is also a chance that the doe had a case of mastitis in the past. That two can make the udder lop sided. Picture would help. You say you want to breed her, is she in milk now? This is the typical milking season.